Monetization, User Acquisition
In July, Park Hyatt Seoul hosted around 80 game publishers from Japan, Korea, Pakistan, and the EU as they gathered for Amplify Seoul 2023.
Amplify Seoul was an exploration of the multifaceted world of gaming. From understanding the global mobile landscape to delving into specific success stories, engaging in deep conversations, and culminating in a night of connection and celebration, the day was a rich tapestry of what the gaming industry embodies.
Here’s how it all played out.
Amplify Seoul 2023 began with Jinseok Lee, Head of Business Development in Korea at AppLovin. Lee gave an enlightening talk about mobile ad monetization and user acquisition (UA) strategies in an ever-evolving environment.
Key insights included a discussion about current global eCPM trends and the massive growth seen in T3 countries, signaling that partners are expanding their market globally. Lee highlighted AppLovin’s recent AXON 2 update, showcasing how its AI-driven machine learning capabilities help enhance campaigns with more accurate and globally scalable UA for its AppDiscovery solution.
Following Jinseok, Masaya Murakami, Head of Gaming at KAYAC Inc., delved into the future of casual game publishing. With a keen eye on the hyper-casual market, he shared personal insights and tips on strategizing these types of games. These included his thoughts on the importance of brainstorming (it doesn’t only help surface new ideas, but also keeps your team engaged and enjoying the process) and keeping production onsite and not remote, as Kayak’s team is made up of jack-of-all-trades types who are versatile in their expertise, and that makes them even more valuable when face-to-face and achieving milestones for development of their games.
He shed light on the potential that exists within this market and the important factors game publishers must consider when planning to develop and/or release them.
LoadComplete‘s presentation was a crowd-puller, with COO Soo Jeong Bae chronicling their journey of creating their popular mobile title “Legend of Slime.” The game recently catapulted to up to the #2 highest-grossing title on IOS in the “Idle RPG” category. Soo Jeong Bae’s insights into their development were met with a barrage of questions, underscoring how well-known and popular LoadComplete is in the mobile gaming space.
The event transitioned to an engaging fireside chat with Johannes Heinze and Thomas Heinze, Co-Founders of Popcore Games, and Daniel Tchernahovsky, VP of Global Business Development at AppLovin. The discussion was rich with insights and tips learned while developing renowned games like “Pull the Pin” and “Parking Jam”, including the importance of trying a variety of UA campaign types (ad-only and blended ROAS, to name a few) to acquire a wider swath of users and get over the hurdle of creating new hype around an older title.
They also focused on which metrics game developers should consider and test when building their monetization and development strategies. It was an intimate conversation that provided actionable knowledge.
As the sun dipped, the evening heated up at The Timber House, a vinyl record-themed music venue and restaurant located within the Park Hyatt.
The night began with a champagne toast by Daniel T., followed by a delicious spread of traditional Korean food, cocktails, and a performance by musician Dahee Kim playing gayageum, a traditional Korean instrument. It was a night of both entertainment and networking opportunities, allowing guests to mingle with professionals from different countries and share experiences and insights.
Here’s to many more Amplify events in Seoul, where we will continue to push the boundaries of creativity and connection!
